A Visitor
by fashiongirl97
Summary: tag to ex-file- Sometimes in life, it doesn't matter how well you know someone, it's what they say. Before Stephanie leaves DC she calls into another red-head. Stephanie's home truths will change the lives of two people, for the better, for ever...


`_**NCIS ain't mine :'( **_

_**Okay, this would have been up last night only I suddenly realised I hadn't done my L4L homework so I had to leave this half-finished and rush to do that. :p**_

_**This is set after the episode when Stephanie is a material witness.**_

_**I hope you enjoy, I loved writing it…**_

Today had been…awkward for the red headed director of NCIS. As if Jethro's constant parading of his relationship with the blonde Lieutenant Cornell wasn't enough, she then had to seal with his former wife number three too. Although she had made light of the situation, it had hurt like hell. Knowing, well more like having to accept the fact that she was now pushed back, that she'd now joined the ever growing group of ex's. The silent ghost that was ever present but never mentioned. Jenny had to admit though that out of Ginger (whom she had met as a probie whilst on a case), Diane (whom she had had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting on many an occasion) and the latest addition: Hollis Mann, she liked Stephanie the most. She seemed like a down to earth woman. The kind of person Jenny could see herself being had she not becomes the ice queen director she now was.

Yet when Stephanie had asked about Jenny's relationship with Gibbs, she found herself in quite a predicament. It would have been so easy to admit it, to admit that she had loved and lost the woman in front of hers ex-husband. After all it had all happened a life time ago. But, she being in director mode couldn't. If it was spilt to the media, then Jenny knew she would be suspended or at least lose her reputation and respect among those she had spent oh so long building it up with. She would wreck her job and most likely his too. So she had denied it, all of it. As she had, Jenny had been able to feel her heart slowly being shredded into pieces.

Now, Jenny Shepard sat in the study of her Georgetown house. Once upon a time it had belonged to her father, who much like her had spent so much time in there. After his death the room had held too many memories, she had barely been able to go near it. Then, once she returned to DC as director she realised she had matured. So, all of a sudden the room only held good memories, she pushed the terrible ones to the back of her mind and focussed on her job. Now, just as her father had done two decades before, she spent the majority of her time in her study reading case files and drinking bourbon.

Tonight was just like any other. She sat at her desk and read through the second case file of the evening. Nothing seemed to be sinking in tonight; she must have re-read each page at least three times. Placing the file on her desk she gave up. The last thing she wanted to be dong was reading case files. She walked towards her drinks cabinet and was about to pour a glass of bourbon when all of a sudden she heard her door bell ring. Knowing she had sent Naomi home hours ago she went to open the heavy solid oak door. She opened the door and was shocked to see who stood behind it. "Miss Flynn, how can I help you?" Questioned Jenny.

"Please, call me Stephanie." She looked at her feet. "I…I was wondering if I could talk to you, as a…as a friend. I don't have many of them at the moment, and I suppose we've been in the same boat where Jethro is concerned." Jenny looked shocked at the other red heads confession and opened the door so she could enter. Stephanie then followed her into her study.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"Yes please." Jenny poured two tumblers of bourbon and handed it to Stephanie, who took a sip and smirked. "Bourbon."

"Yes, one of the things I picked up from Jethro."

"That and black coffee."

"Yeah." Jenny smiled, knowing it was nice to speak to someone who understood these things. "So, how can I help you?" Jenny questioned as she sat down on the leather sofa and gesturing for Stephanie to join her.

"When I asked you if you and Jethro had had any more that a professional relationship at NCIS, I know you lied."

"Yet you didn't push."

"You were at work; I know you wouldn't want to have anyone knowing."

"So…"

"I know you were different from the rest of us. I suppose once we all found out about his first wife, we all tried to replace her, I know you didn't. He cared about you more than any of us, still does. I can see it I his eyes. I've spoken to the other ex's on many an occasion, they all said he slept peacefully. With me though, with me he would have night mares. He'd keep saying over and over again _Come back Jen, please I'm so sorry, please come back. _I know that he was talking about you."

"I never knew, never…realised."

"What happened between you two?"

"I….I told him I loved him, and he said _that'll be the day. _He never said it back. I was young and foolish and thought he didn't love me. Looking back I know he showed me. I left him with a dear John letter in the pocket of my coat on the plane back to DC and went to Europe. I chose work over him. I lost him. The thing with me and Jethro was that we both knew the other had a past, neither of us was exactly willing to share them, I guess neither of us pushed. Does Hollis know?"

"Yeah, she found out today. You two were different to the way the rest of us were, why not go back?"

"Because, he doesn't love me anymore. Even if he did then…then he deserves someone who can treat him well. Someone, who loves him as much as he will love them,. Anyway, anyway even if he did still love me, then…he's with Hollis now."

"You're not going to fight."

"No, he's happy, and that is all I care about. If he's happy then so am i."

"But you're not. Look, Hollis has left him. Walked out, decided that he was still pining after Shannon and Kelly. I guess she understood even less than the rest of us."

"I can't." I was strange for Jenny. She never usually opened up this much to anyone, especially someone she had known only a matter of hours. Yet she spoke the truth, and Jenny was pleased to be able to open up.

"Yes you can. Go to that bloody basement of his and talk to him." Stephanie smiled, got up and began to walk to the door.

"Stephanie, I doubt that it will, but if any of this reaches the media…"

"It won't."

"Thank you." Jenny smiled and the other red head left.

Jenny Shepard only sat still for a matter of minutes before she got up, shoved on her heels, and coat, grabbed her car keys and practically ran out of the house. She had barely even realised what she was doing. She just drove, drove that familiar route to the house she had spent so much time in when they were lovers. It was only when she pulled up outside, she realised. Yet, she pushed away the nerves, and got out of the car. She walked up the path her heels clicking into the night.

Jethro hadn't moved since Hollis had left. He'd come back in after saying goodnight to Stephanie to find Hollis listening to Shannon and Kelly. She'd looked at him with a sad smile, walked towards him, placed her hand on his shoulder and walked out. He knew from the moment she had found out about then it was the end. She was just another number, like all the rest she hadn't been able to accept his past, so had left. Unlike Jenny, she had been the only one who had ever understood. She hadn't pushed, or tried to change him like the rest. She had accepted him as he, knew that when he was ready to tell her the truth he would.

Now he sat there, listening to the tape as it played. He listened to the sound of his little girl and wife talking. He heard her heels and smelt her perfume as soon as she entered his house, yet he didn't move, nor acknowledge her presence. She walked down into that familiar basement to see the man she still loved sitting there with glassy eyes. She'd never seen him like this, not other that when he'd lost his memory. It hurt her, to see his old wounds being opened up and bleeding. She knew words had never been needed between them, s, she sat down on the step next to him. Gently she leaned against him, instinctively his arm went around her shoulders and her hand sort out his. Gently she squeezed it, showing she was there for him.

The pair of ex-lovers sat like that for a while, just listening to the tape as it played. Silent tears ran down her face, and his. His were for the memories of the two people he had loved and lost. Hers were for the fact she had never had the kind of relationship that Kelly had evidently had with both her parents, and it hurt. They sat there just relishing in each other's presence until the tape finished and the silence needed to be broken. "Why you here Jen?" he questioned not looking at her or moving.

"Stephanie came to see me, said you and Hollis had broken up."

"You two have a nice chat about me?"

"We didn't talk about you habits if that is what you are wondering about. She's a lovely person, the best out of all your ex's."

"That she is. You still haven't answered my question though Jen."

"Figured you wounds would have been re-opened and you'd need moral support." They were barely talking above a whisper. But their voices held so much emotion.

"Yet you don't speak?"

"We never needed words Jethro, not then, not now."

He looked down at the woman in front of him. IT was then he realised how hard the last decade had been on her, how hard the last few years had been. Her red hair was beginning to get longer, yet she still had those blonde highlights in. Gone was the face of youthfulness. Now her make- up had worn off he could see the dark bags which shadowed her eyes. On the side of her face he could see a scar which travelled from her left cheek bone to her jaw line. In his mind he wondered if that had been when she was in Cairo. Her eyes were no longer bright and full of passion, now they dulled, and full of sadness and pain. Reaching out he cupped her cheek and gently, with his rough thumb traced the scar. Leaning in, he softly kissed her. Showing her how he had loved her, pouring all his emotion into it. When they finally broke for air he looked deep into her eyes. "I love you Jenny."

"I love you too Jethro."

They both had so much to be sorry for, but neither apologised, because it had taken too long for them to get back here. Neither wanted to waste time dwelling on the past. Itwas that night that this pair, this miss matched coupled started again. They didn't patch up what they had had back then, instead they just started over. Did what they did best, and loved. Still did they fight, yet now they made up. This time they were open with their relationship, and it worked, because, exactly six months after that night in Jethro's basement, he proposed whilst on a holiday in Venice. Jenny had cried tears of joy and smiled none stop. Exactly a year after that night in the basement, the two were wed one the banks of the river Seine in Paris, witnessed by only a few close friends. Neither had any family left, so Ducky gave Jenny away.

That night changed both their lives forever. That night was the night rule twelve was broken, and destroyed once and for all. That was the night every ones lives changed. That was the night a passion was relighted and they loved for once, and for all.

_**I hope you enjoyed, please leave me a**__** review….**_


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